Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City outlines PSAP/911 consolidation timeline, staffing needs and AI for crime‑check calls
Summary
Staff told the council the PSAP will take crime‑check calls in October, fire dispatch in Jan. 2027 and all 911 calls by Jan. 2028; the plan includes an AI front end for nonemergency calls, staffing requests and an estimated first‑phase excise tax revenue of about $1,385,000.
City staff provided a detailed PSAP budget and implementation briefing that mapped a phased takeover of call handling and described expected startup costs and staffing.
Stephen Williams, who led the briefing, gave a three‑phase timeline: “in October of this year is when we'll start answering crime check calls,” he said, adding that the city plans to begin dispatching for fire incidents in January 2027 and take all 911 calls by January 2028. Williams outlined hardware and software purchases required for the initial phase and said some equipment purchases are being scheduled in 2026 as startup costs.
Williams described a planned AI front end for crime‑check to help deflect noncritical calls from call takers. He said the system transcribes calls and will ask clarifying questions; in cases that suggest fire or injury it will transfer to 911. “All of the calls that come into the AI system are transcribed,” Williams said, and staff are testing intents and workflows to limit missed emergencies.
On staffing, Williams estimated the first phase will need roughly 13 call takers and eight administrative positions plus additional report writers assigned to SPD. For revenue, he cited a projected first‑phase 9‑1‑1 excise tax amount of about $1,385,000 and said the city will present a more detailed multi‑year revenue mapping at an upcoming joint budget meeting.
Council members raised privacy and data‑sharing concerns about the vendor for online reporting (LexisNexis); Williams said staff would follow up with specifics about alternative vendors and noted the department has discussed building an internal reporting system but lacks the time to deliver one before go‑live.
